Korean Media: 239.8 Million Units, Samsung's Smartphone Production Matches Apple’s; What About Chinese Brands?

On April 8, South Korean media outlet *Herald Economic* published an article stating that, according to a survey, Samsung Electronics and Apple actually achieved identical production levels in the global smartphone market last year.

Data from market research firm TrendForce shows that global smartphone production reached approximately 1.25 billion units in 2025. Among them, both Samsung Electronics and Apple produced 239.8 million units each, ranking jointly first.

The output of both companies saw year-on-year increases. Statistics show that Apple and Samsung Electronics grew by about 9% and 11%, respectively, compared to the previous year. Analysts attribute the expansion in production to improved sales of Apple’s new smartphone models.

Apple has effectively driven production growth through its reasonable pricing strategy for the iPhone 17 series, which has received strong market response.

Strong year-end sales led to a significant surge, with fourth-quarter production increasing by 54% month-over-month to reach 87 million units.

Meanwhile, overall growth momentum among Chinese smartphone manufacturers has slowed down. Xiaomi produced 169.8 million units, a 7% decline year-on-year; vivo also decreased by 17%, reaching only 102 million units. However, Honor performed relatively better, growing by 16% to reach 70.5 million units.

The improvement in iPhone sales has positively impacted Apple’s performance. The latest financial results show iPhone revenue at $85.3 billion, a substantial increase from $69.1 billion in the same period last year.

During the same period, Apple’s total revenue amounted to $143.6 billion, with iPhone sales accounting for about 59% of the total.

The industry believes that the duopoly between Apple and Samsung Electronics in the high-end smartphone market will continue for some time.

At the same time, the growth strategies of Chinese enterprises and competition over AI features are expected to become the key variables shaping the future smartphone market.

Original Article: toutiao.com/article/1861886989509642/

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author.